Ep. 33: Megan Glover - The Outside Becomes the Insider
When you hear a canary singing in the coal mine, you should stop and listen. Without torturing the metaphor too far, this is how I felt when I started working with Megan Glover at 120Water in 2017 as she started to build her business. The success of a business is predicated on the talent of the people running it, and Megan was important because she was one of the first brilliant CEOs who was truly new to water. She is at the vanguard of exceptionally smart, driven company leaders who appeared at the end of the 2010s and were the predicate essentially of BIV coming into being. We don't get to do our job without enough people as good as Megan. I love this conversation covering everything from strategic marketing to advice to board members. Please enjoy my conversation with my friend Megan Glover.
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Full show notes and links to mentioned content below.
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Megan Glover, Co-founder and CEO at 120Water, joins Tom to discuss the role of strategic marketing in her organization’s trajectory, emphasizing market analysis, customer understanding, and the importance of a quantitative approach. Together, they delve into the genesis of 120Water, its pivot from a consumer focus to serving municipalities, and the significance of regulatory drivers like the lead and copper rule. Megan reflects on talent in the water sector, the evolution of her role as CEO, and offers advice to founders regarding risk-taking in particular.
00:00 - Why Talent Defines Startup Success
02:52 - The Role of Strategic Marketing in Water Tech
05:17 - Market Research: Understanding Customers Before You Build
07:19 - The Origin Story of 120Water
09:36 - The Business Pivot: From Consumer to Municipal Focus
12:07 - How Water Regulations Create Business Opportunities
14:17 - The Future of Lead, PFAS, and Emerging Contaminant Rules
16:50 - State vs. Federal Water Regulations
19:46 - Consumer Awareness vs. Action in Water Quality
20:56 - The Evolution of Lab Testing & Data Standardization
22:49 - The CEO Journey
24:10 - Navigating Board Relations & Investor Alignment
27:08 - Attracting & Retaining Talent in the Water Industry
29:17 - The Future Vision for 120Water
30:42 - Managing Cash Flow While Scaling in a Slow-Moving Market
32:10 - The Role of Partnerships
33:20 - The Art of Negotiation for Water Entrepreneurs
35:13 - The #1 Advice for Water Entrepreneurs
